Some cutscenes in Ocarina of Time featuring the two together have been interpreted as signs of an attraction. While Link and Zelda are escaping Ganon's Castle, Zelda will additionally show her concern for Link by shouting out whenever he is hurt. Moreover, in the game's final scene, Zelda and Link are floating in the sky together, sharing a decidedly sentimental (if not necessarily romantic) moment where Zelda apologies for involving Link in the events of the game and seems saddened by the situation. She also stated that she will not forget the time she spent with him in the Child Timeline as shown in Majora's Mask through Link's memory.

The series has overall enjoyed high critical acclaim, with varying success. Of the main series, six titles have reached a Metacritic score of or above 90: Final Fantasy VI at 91,[29] Final Fantasy VII at 92,[30] Final Fantasy VIII at 90,[31] Final Fantasy IX at 94,[32] Final Fantasy X at 92,[33] and Final Fantasy XII at 92.[34] The only game to reach a Metacritic score below 70 was the original Final Fantasy XIV launch at 49,[35], though the subsequent re-release, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, reached a score of 83.[36] The most critically acclaimed release was Final Fantasy IX,[32] while the poorest received by critics was the original Final Fantasy XIV.[35] Spinoffs, likewise, have enjoyed varied critical reception, though lower than that of the main series. Many spinoffs have been well received, such as Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions,[37] Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy[38] and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call.[39] Many other spinoffs have been poorly received, such as Final Fantasy: All the Bravest,[40] Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-,[41] and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.[42]

In The Wind Waker, Zelda's (or more precisely Tetra's) relations consist of a deceased mother who previously led her band of pirates, and an ancient ancestor who often takes the form of a talking boat. The pirates of Tetra's crew deeply respect their captain and act as a surrogate family for her. It was also confirmed in Spirit Tracks that Tetra is the grandmother of Zelda in the Japanese script. She was the one who taught Zelda about the Lokomos. It is also hinted in the Fallen Hero Timeline that the Seven Sages in Ocarina of Time are the ancestors of the maidens and sages in A Link Between Worlds. Another significant relationship shown is with King Daltus, father of Zelda in The Minish Cap. When Zelda is turned to stone, he is desperate to find a way to save her. The quest to do so requires Link to communicate with the spirit of another royal ancestor, King Gustaf.

In the game, she is depicted as a strong graceful warrior, a talented magic user, and a capable military commander, leading the Hyrulean Forces into battle against the enemies of Hyrule such as Cia, Wizzro, Zant, Ghirahim, and even Ganondorf. She is supported by Impa who acts as her general and military advisor. She also possesses the Triforce of Wisdom, though eventually loses it Cia while disguised as Sheik though it is later returned to her by Cia to prevent the partially revived Ganondorf from obtaining the complete Triforce. However she loses it again to the fully revived Ganondorf, though she reclaims it after Ganon's defeat.

Original Article: Since its reveal in September, all signs have pointed towards the idea that World of Final Fantasy MAXIMA would be a digital-only release on Switch. Rumours started to circulate in October when physical editions for the Xbox One appeared with no Switch version in sight, and there were still no physical copies available when it finally launched last month.

The second game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, was released for the Famicom Disk System in Japan on January 14, 1987,[56] and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe in November 1988 and North America in December 1988. The game exchanged the top-down perspective for side-scrolling (though the top-down point of view was retained for overworld areas), and introduced RPG elements (such as experience points) not used previously or thereafter in the series. The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II were released in gold-coloured cartridges instead of the console's regular grey cartridges. Both were re-released in the final years of the Nintendo Entertainment System with grey cartridges.

The series features a number of recurring character archetypes. Most famously, every game since Final Fantasy II, including subsequent remakes of the original Final Fantasy, features a character named Cid. Cid's appearance, personality, goals, and role in the game (non-playable ally, party member, villain) vary dramatically. However, two characteristics many versions of Cid have in common are 1) being a scientist or engineer, and 2) being tied in some way to an airship the party eventually acquires. Every Cid has at least one of these two traits.

This Zelda is stated to be the same Zelda from A Link to the Past as written in the Hyrule Historia. Impa tells Link she has been sent by Zelda to guard Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and to escort them back to Hyrule. Zelda herself only appears in the Linked Game by linking both counterparts. She is briefly captured, either by the Great Moblin or Vire depending on which counterpart is played, but Link rescues her. She then stays safely with Impa for a while. Towards the end of the story, she becomes upset at seeing the citizenry distraught over the evil powers pervading the land and speaks to them encouragingly to not give up hope. While she is out and about, Twinrova kidnaps her in a plan to revive Ganon, attempting to sacrifice her in order to light the Flame of Despair. Link saves her by defeating Twinrova, who sacrifice their own bodies instead of Zelda's. After Link defeats the mindless Ganon, Zelda kisses him on the cheek in gratitude. The seemingly surprised and genuinely flustered Link swoons while hearts float above the pair's heads, and Zelda looks away, blushing.

1UP.com described Mega Man as "Capcom's ill-treated mascot", and "one of the most incongruous characters of all time", saying "it wouldn't be completely incorrect to assume that the popularity of the series has almost nothing to do with Mega Man himself", but with "his rivals, his enemies, and their abilities."[60] IGN agreed with his dependency on support characters, saying Zero is "cooler than Mega Man".[61] Den of Geek listed Mega Man's incarnation from Street Fighter X Tekken as the 15th best cameo in fighting game history due to how it represented Capcom's lack of interest in featuring other games as of 2012, as well as the apparent self-mockery of it due to Mega Man's poor characterization.[62] Destructoid described this Mega Man as "legit" stating it was "an unexpected and interesting creative decision by [Capcom] using this version of Mega Man to represent them in what may be one of their biggest games of 2012".[63]

The Final Fantasy games feature a variety of music, and frequently reuse themes. Most of the games open with a piece called "Prelude", which has evolved from a simple, 2-voice arpeggio in the early games to a complex, melodic arrangement in recent installments.[23][73][94] Victories in combat are often accompanied by a victory fanfare, a theme that has become one of the most recognized pieces of music in the series. The basic theme that accompanies Chocobo appearances has been rearranged in a different musical style for each installment. A piece called "Prologue" (and sometimes "Final Fantasy"), originally featured in the first game, is often played during the ending credits.[73] Although leitmotifs are common in the more character-driven installments, theme music is typically reserved for main characters and recurring plot elements.[46]

Nintendo is bringing Mario and his friends with their finely tuned racing machines back and this time to the Nintendo Wii. With 3 different control styles and a Wii Wheel included in the box, Mario Kart Wii is bound to be the best in the series. The worldwide race is on with a whole new set of tricks, tracks, and ways to play! Place first in Grand Prix circuits or clear skill-based missions. Mario Kart Wii draws on courses and battle arenas from every game in the series ? not to mention tons of new ones ? the true king of the Mushroom Kingdom racing circuits will finally be crowned.
Several spin-off series have emerged over the past few years, each one continuing the Mega Man mythos in some unique way, including but not limited to Mega Man X, Mega Man Legends, and Mega Man Battle Network. A resulting animated series was also produced originally in the United States as well as a number of toys, comics, and collectibles available both in and outside of Japan.
In the mid-1980s, Square entered the Japanese video game industry with simple RPGs, racing games, and platformers for Nintendo's Famicom Disk System. In 1987, Square designer Hironobu Sakaguchi chose to create a new fantasy role-playing game for the cartridge-based NES, and drew inspiration from popular fantasy games: Enix's Dragon Quest, Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda, and Origin Systems's Ultima series. Though often attributed to the company allegedly facing bankruptcy, Sakaguchi explained that the game was his personal last-ditch effort in the game industry and that its title, Final Fantasy, stemmed from his feelings at the time; had the game not sold well, he would have quit the business and gone back to university.[92][93][94] Despite his explanation, publications have also attributed the name to the company's hopes that the project would solve its financial troubles.[93][95] In 2015, Sakaguchi explained the name's origin: the team wanted a title that would abbreviate to "FF", which would sound good in Japanese. The name was originally going to be Fighting Fantasy, but due to concerns over trademark conflicts with the roleplaying gamebook series of the same name, they needed to settle for something else. As the word "Final" was a famous word in Japan, Sakaguchi settled on that. According to Sakaguchi, any title that created the "FF" abbreviation would have done.[96]

The series has inspired numerous game developers. Fable creator Peter Molyneux considers Final Fantasy VII to be the RPG that "defined the genre" for him.[215] BioWare founder Greg Zeschuk cited Final Fantasy VII as "the first really emotionally engaging game" he played and said it had "a big impact" on BioWare's work.[216] The Witcher 3 senior environmental artist Jonas Mattsson cited Final Fantasy as "a huge influence" and said it was "the first RPG" he played through.[217] Mass Effect art director Derek Watts cited Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within as a major influence on the series,[218] and BioWare senior product manager David Silverman cited Final Fantasy XII's gambit system as an influence on the gameplay of Dragon Age: Origins.[219] Ubisoft Toronto creative director Maxime Beland cited the original Final Fantasy as a major influence on him.[220]

But even after getting chocobos, there's the extremely irritating issue of literal miles of invisible walls along roadways for no discernable reason I can see other than to make it difficult to get anywhere with any degree of ease. It wouldn't even be quite so irritating if it was a consistent rule, but it isn't! Some rails you can jump off of, some you can't, and there is no way to tell the difference until you try. It might make sense if it was a drop that would probably kill you if you lept off, but usually it's just some grass on the other side, infuriatingly out of reach over a very low jump unless you take the looooong way around. And, again, some of these rails go on for miles. How fun do you think it is to run your chocobo for miles and miles, searching for some obtuse way out? What a stupid decision.
Hero's Path Mode: Hero’s Path mode tracks every step you take, so you can watch the last 200 hours of your journey unfold on the map, and use a slider to scroll through a timeline. This works retroactively, so players who have already started the game will also be able to use this feature. Use this to find those shrines and Koroks that are still eluding you!

The Legend of Zelda takes place predominantly in a medieval Western Europe-inspired fantasy land called Hyrule, which has developed a deep history and wide geography over the series' many releases. Much of the backstory of the creation of Hyrule was revealed in the games A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and A Link Between Worlds. Hyrule's principal inhabitants are pointy-eared humanoids called Hylians, which include the player character, Link, and the eponymous princess, Zelda.

Just as there are multiple Links, there are multiple Zeldas throughout the series. Generally close in age to her respective Link, Zelda is most often portrayed as a child, but has been portrayed as a teenager or young adult on five occasions: in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Nintendo DS Mario Kart DS, released for the Nintendo DS in 2005, is the second title to be released on a handheld gaming system. It returns to the one-person karts used before Double Dash!!, and includes a new Mission Mode, where the player must complete eight missions (ranging from collecting coins to attacking enemies) in one of seven sets, and engage in battles with bosses from Super Mario 64 DS. The game makes use of the DS's dual-screen features by using the top screen to display the racer's kart and the bottom screen to show either a course overview or a bird's-eye view of the immediate vicinity. Dry Bones and R.O.B. (and Shy Guy for one-cartridge multiplayer mode) make their Mario Kart debut in this game, with this being R.O.B.'s sole appearance thus far. Mario Kart DS features a multiplayer mode where players can race each other using the DS Download Play feature or a multi-card wireless LAN service; additionally, it was also playable online via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service until its termination in 2014. Furthermore, the use of unlockable retro tracks from earlier installments was reintroduced here and made a permanent feature of the series.
Zelda Month has come and gone much too quickly. But for those who might’ve missed it, PeanutButterGamer (PBG) released his final video for the month just over a week ago. PGB, who started Zelda Month in 2011, puts a twist on his traditional videos with a Zelda product review. In the video, he takes some of the most interesting Zelda items from eBay and, in usual PBG spirit, reviews them with a kooky flair and comical hijinks. Give it a…
Titles in the series have generally received praise for their storylines, characters, settings, music, battle elements and graphics.[43][44][25] Many other aspects in particular have received praise, such as the job system, a series staple,[45][46] with GameSpot stating it is "hard to say enough good things" about it, referring to the the "exciting variety" it offers to the gameplay.[47] Another popular feature is the self-referential nature of many of the games and inclusions of allusions to previous games, with recurring features such as chocobos, moogles and Gilgamesh among others, being well received as nods to make fans feel at home.[48][49][50] The series has also been praised for its gameplay variety and innovation between installments to prevent the gameplay from going stale.[51][52][53]
The Champions' Ballad: A mysterious voice beckons Link to challenge the Divine Beast Tamer's Trials. He must now prove himself by defeating enemies using the One-Hit Obliterator, conquering new Shrines, challenging a full dungeon, and overcoming many trials along the way. Once all challenges and trials have been bested, Link will obtain a new power known as the Master Cycle Zero! Additionally, the bard Kass is traveling Hyrule to complete the unfinished song his teacher left behind. As Link and Kass chase their respective goals, Kass will share new original songs he wrote capturing lost memories of the four Champions and Zelda, previously unknown to Link. But that unfinished song... What could it be? *To play The Champions' Ballad, you must first complete the Main Quest to free the four Divine Beasts.
Both Mega Man Legacy Collections offer more than just simple emulations of the classic games. The first offers up a rewind feature that, as the name suggests, offers players a chance to rewind time if you fall off a cliff (or get one-shotted by the lasers in Quick Man’s stage). It’s not a perfect feature, as I’d often rewind further back than I’d intended to, and I’d like to get a couple of seconds after stopping the rewind to prepare myself, but these games are supposed to be difficult.
The series has received criticism for many other aspects. Many have found the menu-based combat system and its use of random encounters to be a turnoff, or an outdated annoyance,[54][55] with IGN stating the the use of random encounters "need[ed] to change".[56] The series' minigames have been divisive and often come under fire as weaker aspects[57][58][59] (although minigames have received praise in other regard[60]). Finally, many direct sequels in the series have been poorly received and believed to be worse than the original titles.[61][62][63]
Three main installments, as well as one online game, were published for the PlayStation 2 (PS2).[15][16][17] Final Fantasy X (2001) introduced full 3D areas and voice acting to the series, and was the first to spawn a direct video game sequel (Final Fantasy X-2, published in 2003).[18][19] The first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) in the series, Final Fantasy XI, was released on the PS2 and PC in 2002, and later on the Xbox 360.[20][21] It introduced real-time battles instead of random encounters.[21] Final Fantasy XII, published in 2006, also includes real-time battles in large, interconnected playfields.[22][23] The game is also the first in the main series to utilize a world used in a previous game, namely the land of Ivalice, which had previously featured in Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story.[24]